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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Air carrier X unauthorized climb to higher altitude had less than standard separation from air carrier Y. Pilot deviation. System error.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 246655 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199307 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : abq |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 246655 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 24000 vertical : 1000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Error |
Narrative:
Air carrier X requested climb to 370, and was told 'we have your request, it will be at least 25 mi due to air carrier Y. Air carrier Y was 12 O'clock and 25 mi. About 3 mins later air carrier X was issued a clearance to 'turn 15 degrees left for higher, maintain FL330, traffic is 12 O'clock and 10 mi, expect higher after passing.' the pilots readback was 'ok, 15 degrees left and climb to 370, air carrier X.' the 15 degree left turn was to avoid traffic at 12 O'clock and 60 mi, which would have enabled air carrier X to climb after the first traffic. Conflict alert activated a few moments later which alerted us to the situation which is when the pilot was told he should be at 330, maintain 330. No evasive action was taken by the pilot. Immediately following the air carrier X readback, we asked another pilot to 'say again,' which indicates we were looking elsewhere, not expecting air carrier X's incorrect readback. I believe the major contributing factor to this is the lack of responsibility a pilot has for hearing clearance correctly. If the pilots were made to be as responsible as the controllers, more pilots would not accept clearance for what they want to hear, but for what was actually said.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR X UNAUTH CLB TO HIGHER ALT HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. PLTDEV. SYS ERROR.
Narrative: ACR X REQUESTED CLB TO 370, AND WAS TOLD 'WE HAVE YOUR REQUEST, IT WILL BE AT LEAST 25 MI DUE TO ACR Y. ACR Y WAS 12 O'CLOCK AND 25 MI. ABOUT 3 MINS LATER ACR X WAS ISSUED A CLRNC TO 'TURN 15 DEGS L FOR HIGHER, MAINTAIN FL330, TFC IS 12 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI, EXPECT HIGHER AFTER PASSING.' THE PLTS READBACK WAS 'OK, 15 DEGS L AND CLB TO 370, ACR X.' THE 15 DEG L TURN WAS TO AVOID TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 60 MI, WHICH WOULD HAVE ENABLED ACR X TO CLB AFTER THE FIRST TFC. CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED A FEW MOMENTS LATER WHICH ALERTED US TO THE SIT WHICH IS WHEN THE PLT WAS TOLD HE SHOULD BE AT 330, MAINTAIN 330. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY THE PLT. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE ACR X READBACK, WE ASKED ANOTHER PLT TO 'SAY AGAIN,' WHICH INDICATES WE WERE LOOKING ELSEWHERE, NOT EXPECTING ACR X'S INCORRECT READBACK. I BELIEVE THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS IS THE LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY A PLT HAS FOR HEARING CLRNC CORRECTLY. IF THE PLTS WERE MADE TO BE AS RESPONSIBLE AS THE CTLRS, MORE PLTS WOULD NOT ACCEPT CLRNC FOR WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR, BUT FOR WHAT WAS ACTUALLY SAID.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.